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“Yeah, see you next Monday…” I close the door of the office and sigh. Another long day of working in this job that was forced upon me by the economy. The cold brisk air of outside forces itself into the warm stale building as I open the door.
As I step outside, I look upon the tall buildings around me. Most people drove in this city, but not me… Mainly because I didn’t have the money for a car, but partly because I lost my parents in a car wreck. That fear had stuck with me since that day, three years ago… Ever since then, I’d lived in their old home…
I walk down the same street that I walk every day. My home was at least 2 miles from the office, but I didn’t mind. The walking gave me plenty of time to put myself in much better scenarios than my current one. My life wasn’t bad… I mean, I had a nice place; I had friends that shared the same interest as me. But… I just wasn’t happy with being an average Joe.
I shiver lightly as a gust of winds blows from behind me. This city was always cold like this around this time of the year. The wind continues blowing as I walk. The occasional car passes by me, bringing more cold gusts of wind. Most people would be angry or plain depressed about having to walk 4 miles each day, but I loved it. The cold serves as a swift reminder that soon I can be at my home, where I actually am slightly happy.
For 40 minutes I walk in silence. The whole time thoughts of home filling my mind. Eventually, I reach my front door and place the key in the hole. With a turn of the key, I push the door and enter my home. Inside is the usual bland white walls; the only interesting piece being the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic poster on the wall.
I had been a fan of the show ever sense its premier 3 years ago. I don’t know what it was exactly that captured me, but maybe it was just the bright and happy faces. They reminded me what life can be; that I can be happy if I just try. Sadly, the third season had just ended, and that meant I had another couple months to wait for the fourth season.
I undo my tie and sit on the couch. For ten minutes I just sit there, staring at the blank TV screen. That was pretty much what I did a lot of the time. There was never anything interesting on, even though I had cable. Wanting to do something a tiny bit different, I turn on the television and begin to channel surf.
For five minutes I do that, each channel furthering my distress at having nothing good to watch. I guess everything just seemed bland and boring compared to MLP. Oh well, I was feeling tired anyways. I had the weekend off, which for most people would be good for them… Not me. My weekends are mostly composed of sitting around wishing I had something to do. Sure, my friends might come over and we would play some video games, or re-watch an episode of MLP, but it was just the same stuff over and over again.
I stand from the couch and make my way to my room. The hallway along the way is decorated in family photos from before the incident. Honestly, I don’t know why I kept them up. They just reminded me that the happiness they brought me was long gone. I know that they wouldn’t want me to be in the state that I am in now, but it wasn’t like I had much of a choice.
My life had turned to a boring routine over the past year… It was a routine I couldn’t seem to break free of. I wake up and do the usual morning routine, then leave ad head on the way to the office. There I do boring corporate work in a small cubicle that makes me feel claustrophobic. After that, I do what I had just done… Walk home and sit in front of a blank television until I am ready to fall asleep.
I suppose that I could do something different after work, but honestly… I didn’t want to. Deep down, I was afraid of changing the routine I had started so long ago. Even though it killed me to do the routine, it would hurt me much more to break away from it.
So I walk into my room and lay down in the bed. It was the same bed my parents had, indeed most of the furniture in the house belonged to them. Only a few things in the house were bought with my own money. Truthfully, I barely made enough to afford the cable I don’t even use. I could probably get rid of the cable, but it comes in a discounted bundle with my internet, which I do require.
Sometimes I dream that I am actually in the world of MLP… Each night before I fall asleep, I find myself wishing myself into the world. Even though I know it will never happen, a part of me finds happiness in the idea of me living in the world that made me happy. So many times I imagine the adventures I would get into in Equestria, but each time… I wake up and find myself stuck in the same routine.
I just wish that I would be given one chance to go to Equestria… It’s an offer I would never turn down.
Today was the same as most weekends. My friends showed up with some new video game that they pooled together to buy. We played it, and then they left. Nothing special. Other than that, I spent the day alone.
I currently sit at my laptop typing a new MLP fan fiction. That was a past time of mine. When I was down, and wanted to visit the world of MLP, I create my own stories. Usually the stories are about the main 6. I wasn’t the best writer, but I did it anyways. Most of my stories just remained in a text document on my computer, but the ones that I dubbed well enough for posting went on the site FimFiction.
My newest story was an episode based story. Those types of stories were my specialty. I didn’t like straying into the gore side of the fandom, nor the ‘clopping’ side. I acknowledged that part of the fandom, but refused to be a part of it. Not because of the people, but rather because I didn’t ever want to imagine the technicolored ponies being killed or worse… No, I’d much rather just stick to the canon universe of the fandom.
My attention is averted from my laptop when someone knocks on my door. Now who could that be? I stand up and walk over to the door. Peeking through the eye hole reveals nothing behind the door. I slowly open the door, peer around the corner and look around. I look down and stare at the brown box on my doorstep. Now who would leave me a box? I open the door all the way and step outside to see if my mystery Santa is still nearby. No one was anywhere I sight.
With a sigh, I pick up the box and re-enter my house. My mind races to try and think of anyone that would send me a package, since no-one I knew would bother to worry about being secretive about it. That meant it was either one of two things… Either a friend was messing with me in hopes of trying to ‘troll’ me, as the internet meme goes. Or it was some kids playing a prank of some kind.
I sit the box on my coffee table and sit in front of it. With the knowledge that it may very well be a prank, I open it slowly and peer inside. Surprisingly, it was neither of those two options… Inside was a single letter, carefully packaged into the large box. But why would there be any need to ever package a letter? Why go through the trouble of that… I push the box aside and hold the letter on my hands. My heart skips a beat as I see the address it came from…
Equestria. Obviously this is some kind of joke that someone thinks is funny. But who could it be? There were no brony haters nearby, nor even someone that disliked me being one. And all my friends knew that messing with me like this is in poor taste. But there was no way that this letter was actually from Equestria.
With shaky hands, I grab it and slowly slit the top open. Once open, I reach inside and pull out the carefully creased message inside. It was a thick papyrus much unlike todays printer paper, so obviously it was custom made. It was also neatly closed with a small pink string that tied the two folds together.
I cut the string and slowly open the letter. Inside is a message, written all in nice cursive writing with black ink.
Dear whoever this message arrives at.
You know of the world of Equestria. You know of it as the world of ‘MLP’ as you call it. And we know that you have been dreaming of coming here… Every once in a while, we get the sense that something is out of place.
That something is you, slowly coming into our world through your dreams. Now, I know you find this hard to believe, anyone would. You are probably thinking this some trick, but rest assured… It is not. And that is why I would like to offer you something… Something never offered to those in your world.
You see, what you believe to be a fictional television show is actually another universe. Our two worlds are connected in some way by dreams. When a dream of the other world becomes powerful enough, the dreamer can send stuff to the other world. That is how this letter has graced you. And you… You dream of this world in a way none other in your world dream of. You actually enter here in your dreams, even though you never stay more than a minute. Never before has this happened…
And that is why I’m giving you this chance. I can see the pain you go through in your world when you come through; I see the sadness that fills your heart… First of all, if you find this letter too hard to comprehend, then put it down and forget about it. Once you turn away, it will disappear and never re-appear. But if you do believe it is real, then put it back in the box. Close the box, and go to sleep, opening it tomorrow. The offer will be in that letter.
I read over the letter for what seems like an hour in disbelief. Could this really possibly be happening? Could my dreams really be breaching the world of Equestria? It sounds crazy, this I know… I am having trouble believing it myself. But would I really turn down the slightest chance of leaving this world behind?
I carefully set the letter back in the box and close it. It is late, and I retire to my room. My mind is still fully on the box and the strange letter. Slowly, sleep begins to take me… And for the first time in a long time, I don’t dream of Equestria. Instead, I dream of Princess Celestia, slowly flying towards a brown box… A small letter in her mouth.
The box is still there… I sit on my couch staring at it, afraid to open it because of the fear that the same letter will still be there. I know all too well that it will be the same letter and that I was incredibly gullible… There were probably a couple kids getting a good laugh at me putting that letter back in the box and going back to bed.
Swallowing my fear, I reach to the box and open it… Inside is a brand new envelope, wrapped exactly like the previous one. With heavy breathing and shaky hands, I pick up the letter and open it. It’s a brand new papyrus… Tied together just like the one from last night. Same pink string and everything.
I pull the string off and open the letter…
It would appear that you believed me… Very well, you did as asked. Now, last night you may have had a much different dream… That was because we met in your dream. You told me how much you wanted to come to our world… And I told you that nothing is impossible. You may not recall this because you were not entirely yourself… The prolonged exposure to our world had actually split you into two versions of yourself. Normal you, and Equestrian you.
I could go on and on about how that works, but I know you want to know the proposition. So here it is… You want to leave your world behind, but it’s not as simple as just dreaming yourself away. That would cause an imbalance in the universe. If you are indeed serious about leaving the world behind… It can be arranged. I will give you one week to consider this. In one week from now, a new box will arrive for you… This will contain what you must do. Just a forewarning, it will not be an easy choice… Please, think it over.
I… I could have the chance to go to Equestria? How… How is that even possible? My hands shake in excitement. For the first time in a long while, I smile. I know that this is probably all a big dream brought on by a fever I caught while walking home, but if for even a second I could be in Equestria… I would take it. Even if it was just another dream.
I sit the letter back in the box and look at my television. Knowing that I couldn’t sleep with the excitement, I grab the TV remote and switch it on. I don’t actually watch anything, but instead stare blankly past the screen and into my own mind. The screen merely serves as a projector of sorts for my thoughts, which were all racing.
I knew that I wanted to leave this world and go to Equestria, but the letter had mentioned it would not be an easy choice… Why would it not be easy? I guess I’d figure out in one week… I knew it would be the longest week of my life, but it was worth the wait. All I had to do was last through one more week of the same routine… But for now, I prepare myself for the usual Sunday schedule.
It had been a long week… But one that I was happy to live through. Everything in the week seemed to be much better than usual. Sure, it was still the same, but I had a brighter outlook on everything. All in all, it was actually a pretty good week.
I now sit on my couch awaiting a second knock on my door. I had purposely postponed the gaming with my friends to next weekend just so I could await the box. In all hindsight, I was probably losing it… All this week had been spent awaiting a message from a Princess of a world that house technicolored talking ponies… And I couldn’t care less.
My eyes shoot open as a knock is heard on my door. Instantly, I stand and dart to the door. I open it and look down to see another brown box… But this time, I know very well what’s in it. With happiness, I reach down and grab it, sitting it down on the table next to the other one. All week I had waited for this… But now that I had it in front of me, I wondered… Did I really want to do it? What am I saying, of course I did!
I open the box and peer inside. Again, it is the same carefully packed message. So I reach inside and grab it, opening it much like the others.
You dream more and more… I can tell from our side that the dreams no longer affect you. They just feel natural now. Each time you dream, you imagine that your dream finally came true. But each time you wake, you know that it isn’t yet in reach.
But tonight, that shall change. You have a chance to come to our world, but… Like I said, there would be major rips in the universal planes. Tonight, you will dream… But this dream will be the final dream you have in this world. That is, unless you decline my… our offer.
There are many questions you have, I know. But these questions I can’t answer in this way. Tonight, I will visit you in a dream. I will bring you to Equestria, and you will see what you will be able to have… I will also show you what you are indeed leaving behind. Worry not about your friends and family, they will not know of your absence. And I will explain why. Tonight.
Even though I had went all week knowing that I might get a chance to go to Equestria, seeing it right here… It just doesn't seem real. I keep telling myself that I will wake in my bed; this whole thing being a dream… But even if it was just a dream, I was going to ride it out until the end.
I enter my bedroom for a final time and lie down in the bed. As sleep creeps over me, I feel myself growing light. And I feel my entire mind being brought to thoughts of my parents and friends. She said to not worry about them, but wouldn’t they notice something when I disappeared?
Eventually, sleep completely overcomes me. But instead of actually feeling asleep, I get the sense I am fully awake. I take a few steps forward in the dark nothingness, only to find that I am going nowhere. I begin to panic a little until I see a bright figure nearing me. My heart skips a beat as I realize what, or rather who, it was.
“So you decided to dream. Tell me, is this truly what you want?” I stood about the same height as Celestia. Even though we were the same height, she somehow seemed so much larger than I.
“Yes.” She closed her eyes and nodded.
“There is one last thing to be sure…” Her horn began to illuminate the blackness around me… to reveal I was standing in the one and only Ponyville. I… I was here. My dream had finally come true…
“Welcome to Equestria… You’re new home if you choose it to be.” The urge to wonder off was strong.
“What do I have to do to stay here?”
“Nothing… I have seen your world. I see why you dislike it so much. But I have also seen what becomes of you. The future, it is not what you imagine it to be.”
“You… You've seen my future? What happens to me?”
“In good time. First, I show you the life you will have here.” She starts leading me down the streets of Ponyville. I recognized where we were as near Twilight’s library. I couldn't help but wonder if she was there…
“Can they see me?”
“Yes, but to them you are in your pony form.” She continues to lead me down a road. Eventually, we stop in front of a rather large home.
“Is this…”
“You’re home? Yes.”
“What do I do for a job?”
“That is up to your special talent. You know how our Cutie Mark system works. As for what that is, I have no idea. You may show up with a Cutie Mark, and you may be a blank flank. Most likely the former.”
“I see…”
“I assume you know the carriers of the Elements of Harmony?”
“Yes, I do.”
“You are well acquainted with them. More than most ponies in this town.”
“Will I be the same age?”
“That’s the hardest part to explain… If you do come here, it will be as if you had grown here since you were born. You’d have your own memory set of everything that happened up to this point in your life. You wouldn’t just be put into the world and have to fend for yourself. The second you accept, you will gain all the memories and wake up in your bed in that house over there. And that… That’s where the hard part comes in.”
“I have a feeling I know where this is going…”
“Your life on earth… It would have never existed. Earth would have never had you on it. You would never exist on that planet, nor would ever be able to go back.” She stood in front of me and told me the hard news with a firm voice. Deep down, I knew there would be a catch… But what was important on earth that would be worth remembering?
“Would my parents… Would they still be alive?”
“I’m sorry, but no. The only difference in that scenario is that they would never have a son to make them happy.” The thought of my parents never being happy crosses my mind… They always told me that I was the best thing that happened; that I was the only thing that had made them happy in such a long time. I begin to realize why it the choice wouldn’t be an easy one…
“And you said you saw my future? What lies in it…?”
“It’s best if I show you.” Her horn once again glows, and the image of an all too familiar home shows itself. It’s my home, albeit much brighter and happier. Celestia leads me to the door and gestures for me to go in.
I open it and enter. Inside I see something I didn’t think possible… On the carpet is three children, two girls, each aged about 10, and a boy aged about 7. And right by them, on my mother’s couch… Is me. I am sitting on it with a woman from my work, a woman whom I have had a crush on for quite some time.
“And this is the life I could have?”
“Yes. This is about five years from your current timeline.” I simply stand there and stare at what my life will grow into… And for the first time since becoming a brony, I feel the urge to live in Equestria growing old. But I also don’t think I could ever give up this once in a lifetime opportunity.
I continue to stare as the scene returns to that of Ponyville. Except this time, I’m surrounded by the main six characters as well as Princess Luna and Celestia standing side by side. I also notice that I am about the normal height of a pony. A single glance down reveals that I am in fact in the body of a pony… I knew that the final choice was coming soon.
“Will I keep my memories of my life on Earth if I come here?” Celestia closes her eyes and shakes her head.
“If you choose to stay, Earth will never have existed to you. You will have no memories of how you got here, except that you were born here.”
“And if I return…?”
“Those boxes will disappear… As will the chance to ever come back. This is a onetime chance. You will also never interrupt us in our world again. Your subconscious mind would be appeased, so your dreams would never bring you here again.” I look around me at the smiling ponies that all brought me so much joy. Each knew I was there, and each was just within my grasp of being existent… But could I really give up my life on Earth? And what would happen to my life here if I didn't come?
"What will happen here if I don't decide to stay? Will I simply cease to exist here?"
"Time works differently between out two worlds... In the years that you've dreamed, it has actually been the same amount of time in your world. By that, I mean that you are nearly exactly the same age in this world as you are in yours. The dreams you have been having have actually been a separate life. And... If you decided to keep your life on earth, then things will change here."
"Like what?"
"I'm not able to see into the future like I am your world, but... I do know that you show great promise in this world as well. Your parents in this world were both considering... Suicide. But when you were conceived, they both gained a new lease on life."
"So... You mean..."
"Yes, I'm sorry. If you leave this world behind, you would never be conceived. And your parents in this world..."
"If I return to earth, will I live on here in my dreams?"
"That is the part I've been regretting to tell you... I didn't just randomly decide to send the letter just off of a whim. I did it because it is time I patched the hole between our universes. It's either or in this choice... Normally I would have just patched the hole and stopped your dreams fro intruding. But... I saw that the life you created here had potential, so that's why you are here." I begin to think hard about the choice before me... Never in my life did I think this decision would be this hard to make, let alone this decision would ever even be before me. This world was my dream... Could I really turn it down and ruin the lives of two ponies? And who knows what else I would be ruining in the future... But neither could I simply let my real parents die unhappy...
"What will happen to the timeline?"
"I'd have to return the timeline to normal, which would take away many years of ponies in this world. The same thing would happen in your world... Your whole life in the other world would have never existed, and that means whatever you did will never go into effect. Now, I can't be bothered to go into detail on everything that would happen... But know that the choice is equal. Your life will continue like nothing happened in the world you choose, and the world you don't choose will reset your entire life. It'll go back to the moment you were conceived and split into a separate timeline."
"I see..." I stare at Ponyville around me and begin to imagine living here. The choice was chewing at me... Either way, my real parents will have passed away, but it was a matter of their last moments... Will they be happy, or sad? The choice on this side is much worse though... I literally have to choose if they live or die. The only consoling factor was that I would forget the other world existed... And the family I will have. I know what happens on Earth, and would love to enjoy it... But who is to say that I won't have something better in Equestria?
“So… Have you decided?” I take one last look around me. The ponies around me slowly begin to fade away, indicating that now was truly the time to choose… The scenarios played once more in my head, and I began to try and force myself to go to one side or the other. Death, or life... Happiness, or sadness... Earth... Or Equestria. My life, or my dream...
“Yes…” Celestia nodded slowly and opened her mouth one final time.
“What is your choice?” A sigh escapes my throat. I look up at Celestia and smile. My mind was made up.
The End
Author's Note
I purposely left the ending inconspicuous so that you may decide how it ends. This story was written mainly to make people think about what they would do in this situation, and what choice they would make.